ROMANS UNWRAPPED 163

"What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"   Romans 9 v 22-24

Paul continues the imagery of the potter and the clay, as he refers to "vessels of wrath" and "vessels of mercy."   Behind the imagery, is the fact that all human beings are being prepared in this life, for the life to come.   The ultimate destiny for all of us is seen to be in only one of two directions and towards one of two conditions namely destruction or glory.   The term destruction refers not to annihilation, but to the absence of God and therefore the absence of good in our existence.   This life, we are living now, is but a preparation for the next; that is very much the teaching of the bible.   At the end of life we will either be vessels of wrath, in which God will display His power, or we will be vessels of mercy in which God will display His glory.   The difference could not be more stark.

Because of sin, wrath is what we all deserve, but some are given the opposite of what they deserve, namely mercy, leading to the riches of glory.   We must however notice very carefully the language here of the Holy Spirit.   He clearly says that the vessels of mercy were prepared before hand by God unto glory.   Concerning the vessels of wrath it does NOT say God prepared them for destruction; rather it says "fitted for destruction", that is they fitted themselves for that by their chosen lifestyle.   Having refused the mercy of God in Christ there is nothing left but the wrath of God.   Nowhere in the bible does it say anyone is fitted for destruction by God, they do that by themselves.  

On the contrary He does fit people for glory.   In 1st Corinthians 2v7  Paul says this  "The hidden wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God pre-ordained before the world unto our glory."     God is preparing people for glory; are you among them?   Only in Christ will you be among that company of blessed people.   God does not prepare people for destruction because He says  "He endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath."   In another place in Romans chapter 2v4 Paul says this  " Do you despise the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God is leading you to repentance?"   Throughout the whole of everyone's life, God appeals to all mankind in His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering appealing them to turn to Him for His mercy.   Why would He do that if he had prepared men for destruction?   The whole idea is not only wrong it is preposterous!  

Preparation for glory for human beings is entirely God's work; preparation for destruction is entirely of our own choice: but let us ponder the beauty of this expression  "Vessels of mercy which He has prepared beforehand to glory."   Here we have a people formed by the hand of God, taken from the depths of sin, prepared, perfected, adorned, by the gentle and skillful hand of the potter in divine mercy; vessels ready to be filled with divine glory and used for all eternity for the display of His glory.   What a prospect!   Words are inadequate to describe what all that will mean!

What the glory will be, we can only imagine; what the destruction will be, sadly, we can only also imagine.   The bible is relatively silent on both issues and describes them both in terms that we can understand here in this world.   Heavenly glory is only described in the bible in terms of what is absent of all that is bad here on earth; on the contrary "destruction" is only described as the superintensity of all that is bad here on earth.   Essentially, when people talk of "hell on earth" they have no idea what they are talking about.   In any case, the one is to be shunned and the other is to be sought after with all our hearts.  

Make no mistake, the God of mercy calls all men throughout their life to seek Him.   He is calling you now.   Your response will determine your eternal destiny.  

GOD WILL SHOW HIS WRATH AND HIS POWER; HE WILL ALSO REVEAL HIS GLORY.    WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?